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Tsumeb.com: Mission Statement

Tsumeb.com is a not-for-profit, collaborative project with the goal of collating and sharing information relating to the famous Tsumeb Mine in Namibia, one of the most diverse and prolific mineralogical localities in the world. The site was launched on February 8, 2016 from which date interested individuals are invited to contribute by submitting verified information and high quality images relating to the mineralogy, geology, history and personalities that define this unique mineralogical occurrence.

Images used on Tsumeb.com are presented with the permission of the owner and/or photographer. Images may not be reproduced from Tsumeb.com without the express permission of the owner, photographer and/or Tsumeb.com management. Likewise, textual information presented on this site may not be copied without the permission of Tsumeb.com management; however, information may be quoted with appropriate citation or acknowledgement.Reproduction or use of the Tsumeb.com logo is prohibited without express permission of the Tsumeb.com management team.

A platform for submission of contributions will be added to the site shortly. In the meantime, please email all correspondence relating to this site to the following address: info@tsumeb.com

Azurite, (w. Dioptase)

Azurite and dioptase are both common minerals at Tsumeb, but they almost never occur in the same paragenesis. Here, terminated, but slightly etched, crystals of blue-black azurite (to 24 mm) are associated with later-formed crystals of emerald-green dioptase (to 2 mm).

This specimen was originally in the collection of Scott Williams (in the late 1950s). In 1960 it was sold by dealer Martin Ehrmann to the Smithsonian, where it was catalogued as "azurite with tsumebite etc." and assigned USNM # 114693 (see label). It was subsequently acquired by Walt Lidstrom (see label) by which time the emerald-green mineral had been correctly identified as dioptase. Lidstrom sold the specimen to W.W. (Bill) Pinch, who confirmed the dioptase by analysis.

The juxtaposition of azurite and dioptase makes this a very important specimen, as remarkably few examples of this paragenesis are known, either from Tsumeb or from any other localities at which the two minerals occur. At Tsumeb, dioptase is a common mineral in the second oxidation zone, but its occurrence in the first oxidation zone is questionable. Conversely, azurite is abundant in the first oxidation zone but relatively scarce in the second. The provenance of this specimen can be traced back to the late 1950s, shortly after mining operations had penetrated the second oxidation zone and, on balance, it seems likely that this specimen is from the upper part of the second oxidation zone.